Fowl have become a significant component of the diets of various countries throughout the world. In fact, in many countries, fowl have become a diet staple.
In some countries, particular fowl, such as turkey, has become a traditional holiday meal. For example, in the United States, turkey is generally accepted as the traditional Thanksgiving main course.
The demand for turkeys, chickens, ducks, etc. has spawned numerous "farms" for raising one or more of these types of fowl. For example, throughout the United States, "turkey ranches" now proliferate. Such facilities are intended to provide turkeys for the tables of the world in mass quantities.
Governmental agencies in various countries require vaccination and treating of birds (for example, turkeys) prior to their being placed in commerce. Additionally, various other operations might be desired to be performed on birds. Typically, these include insemination and debeaking, although, certainly, other operations exist.
In performance of such operations, a number of persons are designated as, for example, inoculators. A plurality of other persons are designated as "catchers". The standard procedure utilized in the prior art to accomplish an inoculation procedure is to have the plurality of catchers each capture a bird, hold it firmly while an inoculator effects inoculation, and then release the bird back into the flock. The procedure is inefficient because a "catcher" must wait until the procedure is finished before it can release one bird and catch another.
The problem is made more acute because of the fact that, in the performance of some procedures, a particular part of the bird must be made accessible. For example, when the procedure being formed is insemination rather than inoculation, the bird's vent must be made accessible to the inseminator. As will readily become apparent when one considers the efforts a bird makes to escape its restraints, it would be virtually impossible for the inseminator to hold the bird still, make its vent accessible, and effect the insemination procedure. It is for this reason, therefore, that "catchers" have, heretofore, been required to remain involved in restraining a bird until the procedure is completed.
It is to these problems and dictates of the prior art that the present invention is directed. It is an apparatus, the use of which enables a "catcher" to "shackle" a bird and immediately go back to the flock to capture subsequent birds.